1882 Notes Chapter V

Chapter V.

Elections.

The Oxfordshire election of 1754, in which Wenman and Dashwood
were, if not supporters of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, certainly
extreme high churchmen and high Tories, and Turner and Parker,
represented the Hanoverian party, caused the greatest excitement in
the county. After a long and bitter struggle, Wenman and Dashwood were
returned, but ultimately the House of Commons declared they were not
entitled to the seats, and Parker and Turner were declared to be duly
elected. The whole of the Souldern voters plumped for the
Tories. Three out-voters supported the Liberals. The following are the
names of these Souldern electors—William Bates, Robert Bignell,
Thomas Bignell, James Gibbs, Drope Gough, John Hill, William Hill,
Edward Hyett, John Jeffs, John Robbins, John Russell (rector),
Ferdinando Southam, John Westcar, Thomas Westcar. The out-voters are
as follows―John Austin (Oxford), ― Gould (London), John Lord and
Samuel Trotman (clerk) voted (Butler's Marsh) for Dashwood and
Turner.

At the election of 1826 the candidates were Mr. Ashurst, Mr. Fane and
Mr. Stratton. The first-named gentlemen were Tories after Lord Eldon's
own heart. Mr. Stratton, though agreeing with them on most points,
was considered (particularly by the clergy) as a dangerous man, being
in favor of negro enancipation, and an advocate for the introduction
of steam as a means of locomotion and cultivation. The Souldern
electors pulled as follows—For Ashurst and Fane: Thomas Barrett,
Thomas Bates, John Boddington, — Cartwright, IHenry Essery, John
Merry, William Minn, John Risley, Shuckburgh Risley, Richard Scott,
Richard Smith and George Sweatman. For Stratton: John Bates, John
Boddington, George Fathers, Robert Rogers, and William
Rogers.

1830. The candidates at this election were Sir George
Dashwood, Mr. Fane, and Lord Norreys. All the voters plumped for
Dashwood and Fane. Their names are as follows — Thomas Barrett, John
Bates, John Blizzard, John Boddington, Samson Boddington, John
Bonner, John Clifford, George Fathers, John Hill, Seth Hughes, George
Marsh, John Merry, William Minn, Samuel Neal, John Risley, Shuckburgh
Risley, Thomas Rogers, Richard Smith and Richard Sweatman.

1837. The candidates were Mr. Harcourt and Lord Norreys (Whigs),
Lord Parker (Tory), and Mr. Stonor (Roman Catholic). It is sufficient
to say that four Souldern electors plumped for Harcourt; seven for
Norreys, Harcourt and Parker; others split between Harcourt and
Norreys, while there were four plumpers and two split votes for
Stonor. Recent elections have been too near our own time to be of any
interest.